OPERATION: TORCHBEARER
by kilnorc
Summary: Duel Academy decides to adopt a 'student teacher' program to help students get along better...so what does this have to do with increasing crime over in the mainland?
1. Prologue

**OPERATION: TORCHBEARER**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. My friend DarkScytheQueen owns most of the OCs you'll see throughout this story.**

**Kilnorc: This is a rewrite of "WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OF". The reasons I'm doing this are simple: 1) The original fic kinda strayed too far from the intended plotline of the combined effort of myself and DSQ. 2) I felt very bad for leaving this hanging while a good friend of mine was working with me on it, so you could call this an attempt at fanfiction redemption. This is sort of also inspired to do after playing Grand Theft Auto III and discovering Katekyo Hitman Reborn (or KHR for short), of which DSQ loves.**

**Notes**

_"This kind of speech means another language"_

_This kind of speech is thought._

"This kind of speech is normal speech"

* * *

**Domino City, 20XX**

When a rainstorm comes to Domino, a lot of people either travel with some kind of protection over their heads like umbrellas, briefcases, or even newspapers. Then again, a lot of other people don't go outside at all, not wanting to get their clothes and hair ruined in the weather. However, there are some people who are forced to be out in the rain. One in particular is out in the rain right now, not because he got locked outside a building, or something like that. No, he's outside in the rain running for his very life.

**_BAM! BAM! BAM!_**

_Shit!_ the lost individual covered his head with his arms as he bolted around the nearest corner, bullets lodging into the corner just as he passed, barely missing him, This is frickin' insane! It's one thing to threaten myself and the others, but to actually come and try to take one of us out! I gotta get outta here, I gotta warn the others!

"Hey, punk!"

The runner acme to a halt just a few feet from a group of rough-looking street thugs, "Oh shit...,"

The apparent leader nodded, raindrops rolling down his face, "Damn right 'oh shit' punk, this is our territory! If you want to get out, you'll have to pay an escort fee,"

"A _fee_?!" the runner looked back the way he came for a brief moment, "Look, I'm sorry, I don't have any cash on me right now, but I need to get out of here! Please, there are some people right behind me and they're trying to kill me!"

The gang leader was about to ask what he was talking about when at least three people dressed in black suits turned a corner and began to advance on them. He growled and shoved the escapee to the side as he drew a pistol, "Just who the hell do you think you guys are? This is our turf!"

Before he, or any of his followers, could fire off a single round at the intruding suits, said suits raised their own pistols and opened fire on them. One by one, the thugs went down, bullet holes in either their heads or in their chests, dead before they even hit the pavement. Looking around, they couldn't find anything but turned over trash cans, soaked cardboard boxes and wooden crates and who knows what else laying in the street with the fresh corpses.

_"Where'd that bastard get to?"_ one of the suited men asked in Italian, _"We were right on his ass!"_

_"He can't have gotten too far. If these low level scum...," _another of the group kicked the dead gang leader in the ribs, _"...are occupying these back alleys, he's bound to run into them. They'll be a small hindrance to us, but they can actually be of use by keeping the brat in one place,"_

_"We can't stay here. Someone would've heard the gunshots, even over the storm. If we get caught, we'll be involved in cop killings and our orders from the Don were only for the boy. This could be a major problem if the police come,"_

_"Right. Okay, here's the plan. We split up and search for the boy. Shoot to injure only, if he resists and you have no other choice, put a slug through his head. If anything, we'll present the body to the Don and he'll see what to do with the body. Probably use it as a motivator to those foolish enough to deny him,"_

With that, the three suited assassins scattered and ran through the back alley ways, looking for their intended victim, who had just taken refuge in a large, soaked cardboard box near a dumpster. Lifting said box, his blue eyes scanned the area and when he saw that it was clear, he let out a soft sigh and pushed the box off himself. His dark brown hair was matted against his head thanks to the rain, his blue eyes darting from side to side.

_That was close. Gotta remind myself to thank Gameboy for ranting about Metal Gear Solid..._ he looked around, making sure there it was completely clear before he made his escape,_ I gotta get the hell outta here while the getting is good!_

The back alleys of Domino City were like a labyrinth, even to the citizens of the city. A lot of people who had lived in Domino all their lives would still get lost in the back alleys if they didn't have their bearings. For the runaway, it was just as bad, if not worse. Coming to an intersection, he looked in all directions, minus the one he came from.

_Great, just great! It's raining, I'm cold and wet, I got a bunch of killers after me, and to top it off, I'm frickin' lost!_ he snorted and looked at the choices, peering through the increasing amount of rain that poured down from the heavens above, _It's like a modern Labyrinth movie...except there's no Goblin King and no Minotaur making my life more hellish right now. Guess I should be thankful that. Then again, if I'm lost, what are the chances that those assholes would be able to find me if they get lost themselves?_

_**BAM!**_

A bullet whizzed past his ear, just grazing it a little. Yelping, he shot his hand up and held his ear before looking back to see one of the suited killers running towards him.

Man, this is the Matrix all over again! He thought before bolting into a nearby warehouse, hoping to find something to hide behind to buy him sometime. As he entered said warehouse, he came to a sudden stop when he saw the only things in the warehouse were metal support beams and random trash skewn about the floor. Sure, there were some catwalks near the ceiling, but there wasn't anyway to get up to them. There wasn't any place he could take refuge from the assassin! He was going to die there and then!

"Hold it right there, kid!"

Turning around, the young man saw his would-be killer standing in the warehouse doorway, holding a dripping wet pistol, his cold eyes locked onto his blue eyes.

"You have no where to go, boy," the killer said evenly, slowly approaching his target, "Nothing to hide behind and there's no way you can outrun me. Without the rain in here, I have a clear shot of you now, and if you even think of making a break for it, I'll put you down like a damn dog. I'm giving you a choice here: surrender and live, or resist and die. Either way is fine with me, but I at least believe in giving those who go against the family a chance if possible,"

The young man grinned, "What would the Boss do if you killed me, huh? How would he feel?"

"I honestly don't think he'd give a rat's ass, kid. He's only after what your mentor and his friends have, especially after the debt he's got with the Boss. Alive or dead, it doesn't really matter to him. If we bring you alive, he'll use you as a bargaining chip. If you're brought in dead, he'll just use that as a tool to get the other idiots to finally do what he wants," he pulled the hammer back on his pistol, "What's the choice?"

_Aw...crap..._ the runaway looked all around him, _He's right, I can't go anywhere, I got nothing to defend myself with. I'm screwed!_

_**THAP!**_

"OW! SONOFABITCH!"

A clattering was heard and the runner snapped his head around to see the assassin was no longer holding his gun, but the hand that was holding the gun a few moments before. Looking down, he saw the gun laying on the floor. The gunman looked around, "What the hell was that?! You got backup here or something?"

Hell you're asking me?! the runner looked around, What's he talking about?

The gunman looked down at his hand which had a large, red welt in the middle of the back of his hand, "Whoever did that is gonna pay!" he reached down to pick up his discarded weapon with his other hand...

THAP!

"MOTHERF-!"

"You can keep trying to get your piece, but I warn ya, I'm a good shot!" a new voice echoed around the warehouse, "I can blind you from my spot easy, so just keep still!"

_I know that voice!_ the runner grinned and looked around for the owner, "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" he called out to the voice.

Movement from one of the catwalks, in one of the darker areas, caught his eye. From the darkness, a figure stepped out, holding what looked like a rifle. Coming to the light, the runner could see a head of messy, violet colored hair and a single blue eye (the left side of his face covered by hair).

"Jake, what are you doing up there?"

"Hang on, D, I'm coming down first," the newcomer looked around and found an old metal hook on a chain hanging from the ceiling nearby. Slinging the rifle, he grabbed the chain, the one called Jake climbed onto the catwalk's railing and jumped, "LOOK OUT BELOW!" he called out as he used his weight to lower himself to the floor, landing in between "D" and the gunman. He landed with a grunt and turned to "D", "Army brat with a BB gun to the rescue! That must sting your pride, huh, Damien?"

D, or Damien, shook his head, "A BB gun, Jake? That's what you're using?!"

"Yeah...so?"

"SO?!" Damien nodded to the hitman behind his friend, "He's got a real gun with real ammo! What are you gonna do with a BB gun?!"

"Hey, if it wasn't for this BB gun, you'd have a bullet hole the size of a quarter in you!" Jake said defensively, "Be glad I'm packing real metal ammo in this, I doubt I could've disarmed him otherwise!"

"You're an American army brat and you bring a BB gun to a gunfight?" Damien was about to go off on his friend more when he saw the gunman reach down for his gun again, "Jake!"

With surprising speed, Jake not only brought his rifle off his shoulder, turned it over above his shoulder and fired off another shot, nailing the assassin in the forehead with another pellet. This time, the gunman went down like a sack of potatoes with a red welt in the middle of his forehead.

"I may be an army brat, but I don't have a license to kill..._yet_," Jake brough his BB rifle back in front of him, holding it casually, "The worst I can do, besides knocking someone out with these puppies," he patted his rifle, the sound of metal balls clinking against each other was heard, "...is paralysis of the hands. Hit them in just the right spot, they can go numb for hours,"

_That explains why the bastard lost his gun..._ Damien glanced at the KO'ed hitman, "Must not have done same damage to his other hand, he tried going for his gun after you shot him a second time,"

Jake shrugged, "Some people try to use their hands, even after they go numb, they're just idiots that way,"

A muffled ringing sound was heard from within Jake's large coat. The BB-packing brat grinned and dug into his coat for a short time before pulling out a cellphone, "Something tells me this is for us, D," he flipped the phone open and held it to his ear, "Y'ello? Uh huh...uh huh...yeah, he's here," he looked at Damien, "Naw, he's fine. He ran into some company, but he's fine, you wanna talk to him?" a moment or two passed, "Alright, gotcha. Right, I know where it is. Yeah, we'll be there shortly. Later," he hung up the phone and slung his BB rifle around onto his shoulder again, "The big players and the others are okay, they want us to meet with them as soon as possible,"

"Okay, where _are_ they?"

"Classified information,"

"Don't pull that bullshit with me, Revastan!" a large vein appeared on Damien's forehead while his friend/savior grinned slyly, "That's annoying as hell!"

"Tough luck, deal with it," Jake turned and looked down at the hitman, "What're we gonna do with _him_?"

Damien sighed and rubbed his temples, "I don't know, I just wanna get out of here, Jake," he watched as his friend bent down in front of the downed assassin, "What the hell are you doing _now_?"

Jake reached over and picked up the pistol that lay in front of him, "Beretta M 1951 semi-automatic pistol with a detachable clip that fits eight rounds plus one in the chamber," he nodded and slipped the pistol into the back of his pants, "I'm keeping this, it'll save my Dad from getting me an 18th birthday present,"

"Can we get going now, Rambo?"

"Yeah, yeah, we can go. C'mon, before his friends show up,"

* * *

**Kilnorc: There's the start of this rewrite. BB gun idea is DSQ's not mine, I looked up information on the real gun mentioned. This fic may seem a bit confusing to ones who haven't read the original fic, but I promise the reason for all this will come in next few chapters. Until then, later guys!  
**


	2. Getting Out of Dodge, er, Domino

**Getting Out of Dodge, er, Domino**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, DarkScytheQueen owns most of the OCs in this.**

**Notes**

_"This kind of speech means another language"_

_This kind of speech is thought._

"This kind of speech is normal speech"

**"This kind of speech is tech speech" Examples are video conferences, phone calls, etc.**

* * *

_"What the hell happened? Where's the kid?!"_

The gunman tried to hold his head with a numb hand as his cohorts stood in front of him, having found and woken him up a short time before.

_"Well?! We're waiting!"_

_"There was another brat, frickin' came and shot my hands, knocked my gun out of my hands and...I dunno, I blacked out,"_

One of the other two growled and rubbed his eyes, _"Who was it? Another street punk?"_

_"No...he knew the other one. I'm thinking he was one of the others,"_

_"So, what you're saying is that we've not only lost one but two of the brats the Boss wants?!"_

_"Uh...yeah, I guess so,"_

_"Let me get this straight. You find one, get disarmed by another brat, get knocked out by said brat and you not only lose the two of them at the same time, but you lose your piece, too?"_

_"....yeah,"_ the gunman nodded slowly, _"I'm sorry, I know I failed, but maybe I can ask the Boss for forgiveness and-,"_

_**BAM!**_

A gunshot echoed around the warehouse as the shamed assassin's head jerked back, a small hole in the middle of his forehead. Like a ton of bricks, he fell back onto the floor, his now lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling and catwalks of the large building. His executioner lowered his own smoking pistol and spat on the corpse.

"Fat chance of that, _testa di cazzo_," he swore, holstering his pistol before turning to his remaining comrade, _"Looks we've lost them for now. We'll receive a lesser punishment than this bastard,"_ he jerked a thumb to the corpse, _"For now, we have to get out of here before the cops come, we're in a hot spot and we can't afford to be arrested. We'll go to the Boss, explain to him what happened and hopefully we'll have another chance to make up for it later,"_

* * *

It had been a few hours since Damien Edachi met up with Jake Revastan, who managed to save his life with a mere BB rifle. Since their escape, the two young men made their way to an arcade just on the other side of the back-alley labyrinth. It made sense for them to meet there, it was in a public and well-populated area, there was a tiny chance the people after them would try anything with so many witnesses. Shortly after arriving, the two of them were escorted by a pair of large Japanese men in suits. Unlike the men in suits from before, these men were to be trusted. Climbing into a large, black van parked on the other side of the street, the two of them came across another pair of young men who were already waiting in the van.

There was a rough-looking young man with a decent build and a look about him that was usually seen by teenagers who spent their time on the streets. He had a head of jet black hair that was tied tightly behind his head in a ponytail and a pair of fierce, yellow eyes that would intimidate younger children with a single glance. Jett Kenichi gave a nod to both Jake and Damien, "About time you two showed up. Techno here," he tilted his head to the fourth beside him, "...was getting worried,"

"Techno", whose real name was Erik Ikari, was a young man with dull gray hair that stood up wildly and a pair of gray eyes that were much softer than Jett's. Unlike Jett, he didn't have a build of one who got into fights, he had the body of someone who didn't really do much exercise, but he wasn't overweight. Quite the opposite, really, because he usually spent most of his time indoors playing with his mass collection of electronics. He had what some people called an unhealthy obsesssion with technology, and right now, he was even fiddling with a PDA.

"We may be late, Jett, but be glad we're actually here," Damien muttered as the van pulled out into the street, "Jake and I had a run in with some of those assholes who are after Sensei. I almost got shot dead but Jake came in and swooped down like...I dunno, some guy who swoops down,"

Jake snickered as he placed his BB rifle onto the floor of the van, "Some guy who swoops down? God, D, get a life outside the rich man's castle, huh? Bad enough you look a lot like him, you're starting to act like him,"

"Speaking of...," Erik held up his hands and looked ahead to the escorts, "Hey, where's that latptop?"

"I got it," the escort in the passenger seat held up a thin laptop computer, which Erik snatched away almost immediately, "Be careful with it,"

"I know how to handle a computer, I was raised on these kind of things," Erik muttered under his breath as he booted up the laptop, "Alright, D, Jake, the 'grown-ups' wanted us to make contact when you guys made it so they could tell us the next move. Ah, here we go," he placed the laptop on the floor of the van and beckoned the others to gather around him as a face appeared on the monitor.

**"I'm glad to see you're all safe. I'm afraid that my past has indeed come back to haunt me, as well as the others they believe are close to me. The others and I are going to take careful precautions ourselves, since we've been in situations similar to this before, however you four are another story. You'll have to leave the city for your own safety,"**

"Leave?" Jett frowned, "Where the hell are we supposed to go?"

"Yeah," Damien nodded, "Besides, Jake and I have family here, Sensei, what do we do about them?"

**"Don't worry, Damien, they will be safe. Luckily for us, since all of our relationships are kept hidden from the public, they won't be able to determine that you have family. All they got were your first names and faces,"**

"Oh sure, lucky us," Jake shook his head, "Listen, can't we just stay with my dad and my little brother? I can give him a call and we can stay with them, I don't think those bastards would try to mess with the U.S. military,"

**"I'm afraid that that will bring up a lot of questioning and other red tape that we can't afford to have right now, Jake. I understand you want to be with your brother, believe me I do, but right now, the best choice for all of you are to leave the city. Your families will be informed of the situation and will be looked after, just in case,"**

"Alright, sensei, say that we do leave Domino City, where the hell are we supposed to go?"

A chuckle came from the monitor, **"I have the perfect place for you four to lay low for now. Duel Academy,"**

The four just stared at the laptop.

**"I'll inform the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor there of the current situation and swear them to secrecy. I'm not exactly sure how we'll explain four new students in your age ranges to be there...maybe we can think of some kind of program as a cover. While you're there, none of you are to try and make contact with your family or anyone else here in the city except myself or my brother. You are not to tell anyone why you are there except the cover story that will be provided to you. If you have any questions or concerns, direct them to the Chancellor or the Vice-Chancellor and they'll pass them on to me. If they cannot, then you can try and contact me, although I cannot guarantee I'll reply right away. No telling what could happen in the future. Are we clear?"**

The four boys nodded.

**"Good. I wish you the best of luck boys, I'll check in when you've settled into your home away from home,"**

With that, the video screen went away.

Erik sighed and closed the laptop, "Well, this is just great. In one day, our lives get turned upside down because Damien's teacher screws around with criminals,"

"Hey, at least _mine_ isn't going around graveyards trying to dig up the dead!"

"That isn't what he's doing and you damn well know it!"

Jake and Jett watched as the two others began to argue and shove each other, exchanging insults about their respective mentors.

Jett sighed, "You know, I kinda expected you to be the pain in the ass right now, Revastan,"

"But I didn't, did I? I'm just full of surprises," Jake chuckled as the van slowed to a stop, "Where the hell are we now?"

* * *

Seto Kaiba turned away from the computer on his office desk and looked out to the city below as raindrops splattered and ran down the windows of his company. He knew that sooner or later the less than desirable people would be comiing to collect on the favors they pulled for him back when he was younger, but he supposed it was wishful thinking, wanting that day not to come. Thinking back on his younger years, he couldn't help but crack a small grin when he remembered what he would and wouldn't do for others besides himself or his little brother. Years spent with his rival and his gang of loser friends may have actually changed him a little...but only a little, even if people said differently.

"Nii-sama,"

Kaiba's thoughts came back to the present world, "What is it, Mokuba?"

"I just got a call from the escort van. They reached the departure point and the chopper's about to head off for Duel Academy Island," his younger brother, now a young man, walked up beside him, still sporting his mane of wild, ebony hair that flowed down his back, "You're worried for them, nii-sama?"

"Right now, I'm only worried about you, Mokuba,"

Mokuba couldn't help but grin, _Still having moments of denial, huh Seto?_

"Have you heard anything from the others?"

"Only Yugi, but that's it. The other two weren't able to talk, but I'm going to try and call them later. Hopefully, we'll be able to get through to them before they have a run in," Mokuba looked out at the window, "Funny how we always get involved with some kind of danger, huh, nii-sama? Pegasus, the Big Five, the Ghouls, Doma. Kind of feels like the old days,"

"If that's the case, we should be ready to be assaulted with friendship speeches and I should be prepared to hear that you got kidnapped..._again_,"

Mokuba slugged his brother in the arm.

* * *

**Kilnorc: I know, seems kinda short, but it gets better and more lengthy in the future.  
**


	3. Anticipation On All Sides

**Anticipation On All Sides  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I guess you can say the antagonists of this fic belongs to DarkScytheQueen, just like the OCs.**

* * *

When people hear the term "shark", they immediately think of the film _Jaws_, based off the Peter Benchley novel with the name title, or they think of huge killers in the sea that could actually shoot up from the water a few good feet to grab food before landing back in the cold waters. When people hear "shark" they immediately think cold, dark, soulless eyes and rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth that could bite a human's limb clear off the body while it's victim would only feel a tug or a nip. What people don't expect when they hear "shark" is a group of cold-blooded Italian mafioso.

The _Squalionne Famiglia_ **(1) **were a family of mafioso based in Italy led by an older, more experienced member, the _capofamiglia_ **(2)**, Cartalino Squalionne. He was a powerful man, he had connections in many places, had very deep pockets, and had often done some favors for others. Of course, for a Mafia Boss to do a person a favor, he would be expecting a similar act to repay the debt. Cartalino, or "Carta" as he was nicknamed by a special few, did not mind to do some favors here and there, however when the debt to him had not been fulfilled, he punished those who owed him swiftly and mercilessly, very much like a shark.

Years back, he had done a favor to one person in particular in Japan, and he had been trying to collect the debt that was owed, but recently, he had been getting the shaft. Now, normally, he would snap his fingers and the person would either be killed, brutally beaten, have his family abducted and sold for extortion as payment...the possibilities went on. However, for the "privileged people" of the world, namely the rich and famous, he usually gave a very gracious extension. Although, even a shark cannot wait around forever to eat. Speaking of food, Cartalino was enjoying a delicious meal with his family when he got the call from his "associates" in Japan. Excusing himself from the table, Cartalino took the call from his study behind closed doors.

As head of his family and organization, he was already intimidating, but with his features made him even more intimidating. A man in his mid-fifties, Cartalino had a head of thick, graying hair that was tightly tied in the back into a long ponytail. His dark, brown eyes were usually filled seriousness, rarely showing any kind of softness at all, even for his family. He even sported a wicked looking scar that from the right side to his forehead, all the way down past his eye and stopped in the middle of his right cheek. Truly, even if he weren't a mafioso, he wasn't a man many people would want to cross...

_"You had better have good news for me, you interrupted a family meal,"_

**"Forgive me, Boss, but we were very close to-,"**

_"You've failed?"_

**"No sir! Well, technically yes, but the fault wasn't ours! Cipriani ****(3) had the rich man's brat in his sights, practically staring down the barrel of his gun when he lost him!"**

Cartalino frowned and turned, now looking out a nearby window of his large and beautiful home, _"How did that happen?"_

**"Before his punishment, Cipriani told us that another brat came in, saved the first one by disarming and then knocking him out. The second brat even took his piece, capo,"**

_"I see. You mentioned his punishment?"_

**"Yes sir, a slug through the head. Punishment for failing you and the family,"**

The Mafia Boss smiled, _"Very good. I am glad to know I have at least two competent men on this job,"_

**"You mean...sir, are we still working this?"**

_"I don't know, are you? I wasn't aware that you were off the job for some reason,"_ Cartalino raised an eyebrow, _"Why would you think you were?"_

**"Uh...w-w-well, Cipriani-,"**

_"Cipriani failed and was punished justly. You two are still on this job, and you are to stay in Japan. Don't bother looking for the brats, knowing him, he's sent them off somewhere safe. Stay in Domino, keep an eye on the older ones and their families,"_

**"Yes, capo,"**

_"Good. Now, I'm going to go and hopefully finish my meal with my family. I wish you boys the best of luck. But, before I go...,"_ Cartalino gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white, _"...if you ever disturb another family meal again, I will personally deal with you two myself, do I make myself clear?"_

**"...y-yes sir, crystal,"**

_"Wonderful. Talk to you boys later," _Cartalino hung up the phone and was soon seated at the table once again, _"I'm sorry about that, that was a business call,"_

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

"What?! Chancellor Sheppard, you can't possibly be serious about this!"

The bald headmaster of Duel Academy had his back turned to a select few of his staff while he gazed at the island outside, "I'm very serious here, Crowler. I'm sorry if you may think that this is an inconvienence for you, but this is very important. He called me personally and said that we have to act as a sanctuary for the boys as soon as they get to the island. They're coming on a helicopter right now, they'll be here in just a few hours,"

The androgynous head of Obelisk Blue grit his teeth, "Sir, you know I hold great respect for our employer, but think about what he is asking of us! This is a dangerous task we're undertaking, and for what? Four walking targets for a bunch of hitmen!" he turned to Miss Fontaine and Professor Sartyr, "Even you two have to agree with me on this!"

The heads of the other dorms were silent and looked away.

"If you don't mind me asking, Crowler," a certain dwarf asked, crossing his arms, "Why are you so jumpy? Everyone at this school's has faced danger at least three times, and it's usually from bizarre, supernatural stuff that no one wants to even mention! What's so different about this?"

Crowler glared at Bonaparte, "Have you ever seen a film trilogy known as _The Godfather_?! If I am to learn anything from any film in the world, it's that when you interfere with a mob family's business, you're marked for death right off the bat! I'm telling you, if we do this, we could all go to sleep one night and wake up with a horse's severed head laying next to us in our beds the very next morning!!"

Fontaine tilted her head, "I didn't think you were much for movies, Crowler,"

"That's not the point! The point is that-!"

"The point is that they're on their way here, and we are going to do our best to protect them until things settle on the mainland," Chancellor Sheppard snapped, cutting into the conversation. He turned and faced his small group of staff members, "We are the only ones who know about them. When Banner's replacement arrives, we'll inform him on the situation,"

Crowler raised an eyebrow, "Banner's _what_, Chancellor Sheppard?"

"I wasn't aware that the Slifer Dorm was getting a new Head," Professor Sartyr commented, "Is it wise to tell such a big secret to a newcomer?"

"Normally, yes, but this man had a special recommendation. He was supposed to show up a few months ago, but something personal came up and he had to delay his arrival," Sheppard sighed, "Strange how things change for us in a matter of hours. We're used to Shadow Games and entities from God knows where and all of a sudden, we become Witness Protection for a group of young men who are hiding out from an Italian mob family...,"

"If you ask me, I'd rather stick to the Shadow Games," Crowler murmured, "At least then we'd have some guarantee that we'd actually make it out alive,"

Sheppard couldn't help but chuckle, "Crowler, did I just hear you make a small reference to Jaden Yuki and his talent as a duelist?"

"Uh...no...,"

* * *

"Dude, this is so cool!"

"Gotta agree with you on that, Erik, I don't think I've ever ridden in a chopper before,"

"Get to da choppa!"

"...and Jake's off quoting _Predator_...greaaaaaaaaaat,"

"Hey, that was a great movie! Aliens, soldiers in a jungle, explosions, big ass guns, it was epic!"

Damien looked out at the water below them as the chopper flew over the ocean, heading straight for Duel Academy. He knew that what they were doing was needed for their own safety, he could understand that very well, it's just that he couldn't help but hate the idea a little bit. Sure, he'd love nothing more to get out of a city where a mob boss and his goons knew where they were living, it's just that he hated to leave his sister behind in said city. He must've shown some kind of emotion, because the next thing he knew, Jett was nudging him in the side, making him turn to face him.

"Don't worry about Sonja," Jett said coolly, looking straight ahead, "She'll be just fine. Remember what your sensei said, each of our relationships with our mentors were kept secret from the public. Even if they dug around, the best anyone could find on us is who taught us the game," he glanced to Damien out of the corner of his eye, "Besides, ol' blue eyes said that he understood about siblings, so I think he'll keep a close eye on her just in case,"

"...thanks, Jett,"

"Don't mention it," Jett gave a small wave.

Damien couldn't help but grin. As long as he knew him, jett usually put on a tough, street-kid attitude and appearance, but he was really a softy inside.

"Da da, da da da....da da da da da...,"

"Erik, what the hell?"

"_JURASSIC PARK_ THEME FOR THE WIN!"

Jett and Damien glanced at each other while Jake and Erik continued to screw around.

"Does it scare you that you and I are usually the most serious people?" Damien asked quietly, "I mean, sure Jake can be all serious at times, he's an army brat, he's supposed to be serious at least once, but I think Erik's a lost cause...,"

Jett nodded slowly, "I think he had a few too many shocks and now his brain is fried,"

"Come to think of it, brain is a usual delicacy in some places of the world...," Damien patted his stomach, "God, I'm so hungry right now,"

His friend facefaulted and scooted a little bit away from him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You may be serious, but you're more morbid than Erik's sensei," Jett muttered, "...and he's a frickin' ghoul!"

"HEY!"

The two of them turned to see Erik look at them, a very annoyed look on his face. He turned and narrowed his eyes at Jett, "My sensei is not a ghoul...,"

Jett held up a finger, "He's into the occult," he held up another finger, "He's pale as hell, like a necromancer who's never seen the light of day in his entire life," he held up a third finger, "His entire deck's based around darkness and the occult...do I really need to go on?"

Erik raised an eyebrow, but remained silent, he just kept staring at Jett. The street-wise teenager slowly turned his head to Damien, "If he starts saying 'redrum' over and over again, I'm throwing him out the damn chopper,"

* * *

**Kilnorc: I'll admit, this is a blah chapter, but don't worry folks, future stuff's gonna make up for it!**

**(1) Squalionne Famiglia - Name is derived from "squalo" which, from sources I trust, mean Shark in Italian. The head, Cartalino, his name is derived from "card" in italian, which I've learned is "carta di giuoco". So, the entire name is a vague translation of "Card Shark"  
**

**(2) Capofamiglia - means "boss" in the mafia (info from Wiki)  
**

**(3) This name is a reference to Tony Cipriani, a character in the _Grand Theft Auto_ series.**


	4. New Home

**New Home  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. The OCs (most of them) seen in this fic belong to DarkScytheQueen.**

**Kilnorc: Yeah, I know, this hasn't been done in awhile, my bad. As a late gift to my co-creator of this fic, I write and wish to dedicate this chapter of Operation: Torchbearer to my dear friend, DarkScytheQueen, whose birthday was this last Sunday. Spread the love ya'll!  
**

* * *

"So, they've arrived safely?"

"Yes, Mister Kaiba, they landed a short time ago and they're staying at their assigned residences,"

Kaiba gave a nod, "Good work, Sheppard, I appreciate what you're doing for the boys,"

"It's our pleasure, Mister Kaiba,"

The CEO closed out of the video conference call and leaned back in his chair, the city lights of Domino shining brightly in the night air behind him. Letting out a tired sigh, he rubbed his eyes, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually wishing for the old days where psychopathic egomaniacs tried to take over the world with children's trading cards,"

"For one who still plays with the cards from time to time, you sure are sounding like you're putting them down, nii-sama,"

Kaiba cracked an eye and looked to the side of the room where Mokuba was laying on his back, reading a manga.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Reading _One Piece_,"

"Why?"

"I like _One Piece_," Mokuba flipped a page over, "It's pretty good, you should give it a try, nii-sama,"

"Oh sure, Mokuba, I'll do that right after I try and keep a Mafia crime boss and his thugs from killing anyone and taking back the supposed payment they deserve,"

Mokuba rolled over onto his stomach, his manga held in one hand and hanging over the side as he placed his chin on the arm of the couch, "Seto, I don't understand. Why are these guys after the others? After us?"

Kaiba shook his head, "It's because of a mistake I made a long time ago, Mokuba. Remember, when I first started collecting the Blue Eyes White Dragons?"

Mokuba nodded.

"One of them I got, I got from making a little...'business transaction' with certain people in Europe,"

His little brother facefaulted, "You made a deal with the Italian Mafia, didn't you, nii-sama?"

"...yes. Yes, I did,"

"What is wrong with you, Seto, haven't you ever seen _The Godfather_!?"

"Haven't _you_ done anything besides read manga and watch foreign movies?"

* * *

**Duel Academy Dormitories**

**With Jett and Damien...**

"Huh...so, looks like we're next door neighbors,"

"Yep, sure looks like it,"

The two young men stood outside their respective dorm rooms, just a few feet from each other down the hall.

Damien grinned and turned to his friend, "Hey, Jett. Without our connections, you ever think you'd get to stay in a nice place like this?"

Jett looked up in thought as he held out his room key, "Well...I dunno, really,"

"You know,_ without_ breaking into the place?"

"Eat it," Jett flipped him the bird, "When are you gonna stop joking around about my background, you Kaiba clone?"

"Oh ho...Kaiba clone!" Damien turned all the way to face him and crossed his arms, the grin still plastered on his face, "You come up with that yourself, or were you saving that for a special occasion?"

"D, this is a public area, do you really want me to kick your ass? I mean, if anyone saw this happen, your first day here would be defined by you being a total wuss,"

**With Erik...**

"Hmmm, not bad, not bad," the gray haired teen nodded slowly as he inspected his room, "Plenty of space for me and some gear, computer already here and set up for me, that's always a plus," he scratched his chin idly, "Needs a change of color though, the yellow's not really my thing. I wonder if I can pull some strings from D's Big Boss figure and get some of my old stuff sent here...or better, maybe I can find a computer lab in this place!"

He stood there in his room for a few more moments before bolting out, a hyper look on his face.

"I SMELL YOU, HIGH TECH HARDWARE, YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM ME! NO COMPUTER CAN HIDE FROM TECHNO!!!"

**With Jake...**

"Come on...come on you stupid piece of crap, open up!" Jake jiggled the doorknob to his new room, but to no avail. He slammed a fist on the door, "Dammit, this place is a piece of crap! Why the hell did everyone else get a nice place when I got this dump?! Did I do something, did I insult someone?!" he slammed a fist down on the door again, but when that failed, he reached behind him to pull out the pistol he had boosted from the hitman that nearly killed Damien. Just before he pulled his shirt up to grab it, he stopped himself and shook his head, "No, no...can't do that. Gunshots will only bring people around and those people will ask questions about what the hell I'm doing and why the hell I'm carrying a friggin' gun...ah! I know!"

Jake backed away a couple of yards and took a deep breath before breaking out into a hard run towards the door. Turning slightly, he rammed his shoulder hard into the door and a few seconds later, the door not only gave way, but it fell over entirely. This unforseen result threw Jake off and the next thing he knew, he was laying on top of the door on the floor.

"...I _hate_ this place already...,"

* * *

Chancellor Sheppard cleared his throat and addressed the small gathering of teachers in one of the conference rooms of the school. He, Crowler, Miss Fontaine, Professor Sartyr, Bonaparte were gathered, like in his office, and like in his office, there was no sign of Banner's replacement.

"Now that our young guests are here safely, we can discuss an option that has come our way," the bald Chancellor began the meeting slowly and calmly, "We need to keep an eye on them so nothing happens to them. While they're in the dorms, we can make sure that they're okay, but when they're out and roaming the island, we need to make sure. Which is why I suggest that we make a special program just for these young men,"

Crowler raised a hand, "Excuse me Chancellor, but what kind of special program?"

"A student-teacher program. Simply put, the boys will be assisting you in your work here at the school as well as being students. They'll be classified as students, but they'll be helping you out, which means they should be in your sights most of the day, so we can ensure their safety,"

"Wait," Crowler blinked, "Are you saying that we'll be babysitting these kids _all_ the time?!"

Bonaparte slapped himself in the face, "What did you think we were going to do, let them run wild like a bunch of animals and just have security keep tabs on them?"

Miss Fontaine sighed and turned to her boss, "Sir, I understand this is important and everything, but even if we do this with the boys, what's to guarantee their safety, or even our safety?"

Sartyr nodded, "She's right, Chancellor. Say that the unwanted pursuers show up, and they find the boys, what's to say that we'll be able to get through it alive? Aren't people like the ones hunting them usually very violent?"

"Of course they are!" Crowler snapped, "They're capable of any act of violence, the mafia! These people can do anything and everything they want! When a car blows up, it's the mafia! When people die in a fine restaurant, it's the mafia! When-,"

"That's enough, Crowler, we get it!" Sheppard cut him off, rubbing a temple, "Calm down...and try not to use many stereotypes to prove a point. I understand that you're all worried about this arrangement, believe me, I am too. I fear not only for ourselves and the boys, but for the other students here. The only thing we can do right now, is just keep our eyes on them for now and hope that the people looking for them don't get a hint of where they're hiding out,"

Bonaparte stood on his chair, in an attempt to make himself easier to notice and be heard by the rest of the room, "Excuse moi, but I have a question!"

"Which is?"

"Why the hell are these mafia lunatics hunting the children anyway?" the dwarf asked haughtily, "What did Kaiba do to piss them off?!"

Sheppard sighed, "I'm afraid I don't know all the details, Bonaparte, all I know is that Kaiba and certain people he's connected with are afraid that they'll come after these four boys and they will try to harm them in an attempt to get to them,"

Bonaparte huffed, "This doesn't sound like Kaiba at all. Everything I've heard about him, he only looks out for his brother, and even _that_ kid gets taken every few weeks! Why's he so worried about these four?"

Sheppard rubbed his eyes, _God, send me a diversion...right now, **please**!_

* * *

"So, what're you guys doing?"

**"Settling in, getting used to the place,"**

**"Same...except my place is right next to the bathroom, and I think it's leaking or something, because it smells really bad in here,"  
**

**"Same. What're you up to, Microchip?"**

Erik frowned as he adjusted the cellphone headset, "It's not Microchip, it's _Techno_! Microchip's a middle-aged, overweight nerd who helps a gun-toting vigilante take on the crime lords of the world. I'm just a technological genius!"

**"Sure, who can get his toys from Mommy and Daddy easy!"**

The gray haired teen grinned as he hooked up about the third computer he "borrowed" from the nearest computer lab together with the others and his room computer, "Not _my_ fault my dad works at Microsoft and my mom works at Nintendo," he paused in his setup, "I think we can all blame them for my technological genius,"

**"No, I think we can blame them for having a son who obsesses over electronics like no other,"**

"I do not get obsessed!"

**"Erik, weren't you banned from ever stepping foot into Microsoft HQ? I mean, doesn't security have your picture on a poster that says 'DO NOT LET THIS PERSON WITHIN TEN FEET OF THE TESTING OFFICES!!' ?"**

"Bite me, Jake," Erik snapped before recieving a small shock from the setup, "Dammit! Back you go, you naughty plug!"

**"Fifty bucks says he fries himself,"** Jake piped up, **"Taking all bets on all kinds of accidental, electrical deaths with Microchip!"**

"I said-!"

**"I'll take that bet,"** Jett cut Erik off, **"I'll bet a hundred that he gets fried and that he shorts out the power to the entire building,"**

**"Oooh, a dual-scenario bet, how interesting. Yo, D! You wanna piece of this action?"**

"He's not gonna-,"

**"I'll bet five hundred dollars and I'll throw in a free piloting session with sensei's personal jet that he gets fried, a small shortage takes place, but he'll end up burning down the building all at the same time!"**

Erik's eye twitched, "I frickin' _hate_ you guys!" he muttered as he began the final stages of his hookup, "I'm just about done, so there's no chance in Hell that anything will-,"

**BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!**

The lights in the dorm flickered on and off for a few moments while Erik fell over onto the floor, leg twitching and his hair standing up on all ends, crackling with electricity.

**"OH! I HEARD THAT! YOU GUYS HEAR THAT?!"** Jake shouted into his end, **"I FRICKING CALLED IT! I _SO_ CALLED IT! I WIN THE BET!!!"**

**"Bullcrap you did!"** Jett snapped, **"We dunno what happened to him yet!"**

**"Well, let's head down there and see if he's still breathing...,"** Damien sighed, **"I bet he smells like cooked bacon right about now,"**

**"I'll take that bet!"**

**"SHUT UP, JAKE!"** Jett and Damien shouted before hanging up.


End file.
